This week's lesson is on the LD50 Test, brought to you by Prof. Rabbit. Learn more about why these tests are cruel, unreliable & out-dated! Help the BeCrueltyFree team put an end to animal testing for cosmetics by signing the pledge.

This week Prof. Rabbit has another lesson for you on the Draize Eye Test. Learn more about why these tests are cruel, unreliable & out-dated! Help the BeCrueltyFree team put an end to animal testing for cosmetics by signing the pledge.

Week 11Last week Prof. Rabbit introduced you to the Draize Eye Test. This week we learn more about why these tests are cruel, unreliable & out-dated! Help theBeCrueltyFreeteam put an end to animal testing for cosmetics by signing the pledge.

How can you become a cruelty free shopper?​1. ​Only purchase cruelty free product ​(see here for a list of cruelty free products that can be purchased in Taiwan​.)2. ​Write letters to your local malls to encourage them to sell more cruelty free products​.3. ​Write to cosmetics companies and encourage them to stop animal testing and obtain cruelty free certification.​4. ​Tell your friends and family about animal testing in cosmetics and encourage them to shop cruelty free​.5.​Support our lobbying efforts and sign the petition to end animal testing for cosmetics​.

Week 8: World Wide Movements Cont’dOther Countries:China*China announces to lift mandatory animal testing regulation on domestic products starting June 30th 2014.South Korea*South Korean government promises to invest 16.6 billion Korean Won in to a national alternatives research center. South Korea officially accepts non-animal testing data.Russia*Accepted training from Humane Society International and Institute for In-Vitro Sciences. Announced that data and testing methods from OECD will be accepted

Now, companies can still produce safe products by choosing to use already safe ingredients (over 5000+) or by utilizing innovative non-animal testing methods (over 40+ methods that have proven to be accurate and effective). Many animal tests require months or even years to see results; non-animal testing methods are more human-related and are often times more cost-efficient and less time consuming. In one day, scientists can conduct thousands of tests using non-animal methods, whereas only about 10 animal tests can be conducted in one year on average. Many cosmetic companies now utilize 1) human reconstructed skin to conduct new substance testing such as: EPISKIN, EpiDerm, and SkinEthic 2) using Bovine cornea opacity and permeability method (OECD TG 437) for eye irritation testing and 3) using 3T3 neutral red uptake method (OECD TG 432) for photo-toxicity testing.

Did you know? Many animal tests are decades old and have inherent well-known scientific weaknesses due to species-differences that make regulation based on animal tests highly questionable. Non-Animal safety testing focuses on how chemicals and medicines affect human, rather than animal, systems—eliminating problems of species and breed differences.

Did You Know? In the world, there are over 5000+ safe ingredients that can be used within cosmetics (China has listed out 8000+ safe ingredients). Most companies will use these safe ingredients to create a variety of products (many Taiwanese companies have claimed that they do not do animal testing because they utilize already safe ingredients. Only “new” ingredients within cosmetics need to be animal tested). In the past 3 years in Korea and Japan, statistics shows that zero animal testing have been conducted for Regular Cosmetics. In Taiwan according to the “Industrial Technology Research Institute”, zero animal testing have been conducted for both Regular and Functional cosmetics in the past year.

＊New chemical substances not already listed on Taiwan’s National Existing Chemical Inventory will be subject to new testing (likely animal-based) in accordance with the 2013 Toxic Chemical Substances Control Act (TCSCA). These chemical substances may subsequently be used as ingredients in cosmetic formulations